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Here's the deal. My second oldest son is getting married, most likely in December. He wants to take his bride to Ireland.
Any suggestions for travel guides or other thoughts would really be appreciated. One of the challenges is he will be there over Christmas. Ireland at Christmastime or winter in general ; good idea, bad idea?
Thanks in advance! Have a great day!
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From our time in Ireland, most of the tourist attractions close down by the end of October and don't reopen until after March. I think that if they can wait, going in April or May would be much better. Also since it would be 4 or 5 months after the wedding, they might be able to get out of the hotel and see some of the sights
I know I'm in Scotland but we generally are a similar type of place If they're going to be looking for all the 'touristy' things then it's likely that they're going to be disappointed as we often find things close down over the winter, especially over Christmas. If, however, they are looking for a festive time, romantic long walks and sight seeing then I can think of nothing nicer The weather over here isn't so severe as many of you over there have in winter so it's unlikely they'll have many problems weather wise - but it's always wise to come well stocked up in waterproof coats and umbrellas!
Just got back today and I would have to agree that April is a better time to go but Xmas could still be nice. Ireland, for the most part, doesn't get much snow and the further south you go, the less likely you will see any of the white stuff.
Tell them to pick out a central or southern region and stay at a B&B for 2 days, then move on 30-40 miles and stay in another B&B for a few days and move on again. You can't see Ireland in one or even two weeks, so, get that idea out of their heads right away.
I would suggest, land at Shannon and stay at B&B's along the Cliffs of Moher and work their way around the Burren of Co. Clare, up towards Galway, through Connamara, circle into Co. Mayo and head slightly inland and then head south through western Galway and Offlay, then back to Shannon. There are B&B's everywhere in Ireland and most accept walk-ups. Just drive and when you get tired, start looking for a B&B.
If it's their first time in Ireland, tell them to land at Shannon, not Dublin. Learning to drive for the first time in Ireland can frazzle the nerves and the pasturelands near Shannon are much easier to deal with than the big city atmosphere of Dublin.
And a very good map is a major plus but don't use the GPS from Hertz. It doesn't work very well.
Exchange a few hundred dollars at the U.S. airport or local bank, just to have some Euro's when they land and bring an ATM card for any other cash they will need. That eliminates having to keep large amounts of cash on them.
I would also suggest, if they go to Co. Mayo, they should go as far north as Westport and spend a few days there. Even if they don't drink, it's worth going to the pubs each night. The locals all bring their instruments and the music can be very entertaining.
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